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Month: July 2015

After a long wait, finally we went to watch Bajrangi Bhaijaan yesterday, after 6 days of release. So much was said about the movie, and the gross making of it matching with Bahubali. And turns out, it was worth it.

One of the very few movies of Salman Khan with such an emotional story, it really does touch your heart. Salman Khan as Pavan Kumar Chaturvedi, a BajrangBali Bhakt, does a good job. Harshaali Malhotra, who plays a speech impaired 6 year old Munni / Shahida does a beautiful role. You cannot help fall in love with her innocent smile and cute actions. She speaks so much with her eyes, which even Salman couldn’t do with all his bravado and words. Nawazuddin Siddique, as a Pakistani news reporter Chand Nawaz, is simply amazing in his role with too good humor timings. But then, when is he not amazing!! Kareena Kapoor Khan had done a guest appearance with almost nothing to do.

The story shows a beautiful picture of the day when India and Pakistan comes above the political religions and unite, even if it is for a cause. There are many scenes throughout the movie where people rise above the religious and cultural difference and unite as human beings. These scenes really make you think and hope of such a day happening, no matter how far into the future (Eid Mubarak, Hanumanji)

Couple of things which could have made the movie slightly better, on a personal note, are that Salman could have been given a bit more vocal role. His role was too simple minded and had too few punch lines to match up. Editing of the movie also could have been slightly better with the transitions between scenes. Other than that, the movie was as much perfect as it could possibly have been. Bajrangi Bhaijaan was a wonderful Indian way of wishing everyone Eid Mubarak. It cannot get more beautiful!!!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Movie Bio

Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a 2015 Indian drama film directed by Kabir Khan. Scripted by V. Vijayendra Prasad, the film is produced by Salman Khan and Rockline Venkatesh. It features Salman Khan, Harshaali Malhotra, Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in lead roles. Principal photography began in New Delhi in November 2014, and the film had a worldwide release on 17 July 2015 during the Eid weekend. (Source: Wiki)

Fun Fact

K. V. Vijayendra Prasad, who is the screen writer of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, is co-incidentally writer of the South Indian blockbuster film Baahubali. (Source: Wiki)

A movie which cost INR 250 cr. to make and crossed grossing INR 300 cr right in the first few days of release is definitely not a movie to be missed. And it was definitely worth the watch. The story is set in 9th Century AD where brothers fight to become the king.

The movie starts with a Queen trying to protect a baby. The implication is clear that the baby is the hero, as the Queen dies saving him. He then grows up to be Shivudu (Prabhas) and aspires to climb the neighborhood hill. His aspirations take him to his destiny and that is how the movie comes to be.

Prabhas gives a wonderful performance as Shivudu and later as Bahubali. His innocence and determination made him adorable throughout the movie. The most powerful performance, however, was given by Ramya Krishnan as Queen Shivagami. Her portrayal of Queen oozed power and authority. Rana Daggubati as Bhallaldev was too good of a villain you could ask for in Historian movies. After seeing him in a romantic role, this one was a refreshing change – someone you would love to hate.

More than the story, the special effects took the cake. Of course, the VFX cost more than INR 85 cr, so it is bound to be amazing. Nothing was over the top. The way the story ended with a cliffhanger for the next movie also felt complete yet enticing. All those who watched this one is sure to catch up the next on as soon as it is released

Movie Bio

Baahubali: The Beginning, also presented as Bāhubali: The Beginning (English: The One With Strong Arms) is a 2015 Indian bilingual epic historical fiction film directed by S. S. Rajamouli. Produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, it is the first of two cinematic parts. The film was simultaneously made in Telugu and Tamil and dubbed into Hindi, Malayalam and French languages. Baahubali: The Beginning features an ensemble cast of Prabhas, Rana, Tamannaah and Anushka Shetty in lead roles. Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar, Adivi Sesh, Tanikella Bharani and Sudeep appear in supporting roles. (Source – Wiki)

Baahubali: The Beginning was released worldwide on the 10th of July 2015 to positive reviews from critics, and it recorded the highest-grossing opening for an Indian film at the box-office. As of 20 July 2015, it is the 4th highest grossing Indian film of all time. The final part is scheduled for release in 2016. (Source – Wiki)

Fun Facts

90% of the movie was shot in Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad

Fastest movie to cross INR 200 cr. gross collection

The waterfall scene is acutally shot at Athirapally waterfalls in Kerala, over which VFX are added.

A new language has been created for the Kalakeya’s tribe, called Kilikil langugage. It has 748 words with set 40 grammar rules

Blurb:

Kienna loves dressing up her clients in beautiful gowns at the bridal shop where she works but she doesn’t believe in fairy-tale weddings or happily ever afters. After all, her Prince turned out to be a frog, and her divorce broke her heart. So when she realizes one of her brides doesn’t love her groom, she tries to warn him. If only he would listen, she could help him avoid her same fate. Blake is sure Rachelle loves him but she leaves him at the alter. He should have listened to the wedding gown girl’s warning. He should have been hurt, but instead he’s only relieved–and in pursuit of the woman who tried to save him from a broken heart. If only she’d trust him not to be like her ex. Doesn’t she know that when he says he loves her, it means forever?

Genre: Romance / Contemporary Romance

My Review:

Divorce is a thing which has a tendency to kill all the romantic feeling between the estranged couple. But Kienna works in a Bridal Store where she sells romance everyday. Therefore, although she wants to stop feeling, romance is deeply embedded in her. So when the handsome Blake comes by, she finds it very difficult to not have feelings for him. But he is the groom of her client. If they are meant to be together, why is Blake marrying someone else?

A typical romance story. Two skeptical people meet and love emerges. The thing here is it is not very romantic. It is curt. The story is not like a fairy tale where everything is lovey dovey. It is a complicated mature love story. Complicated because the couple goes through a lot of doubts before finally coming together.

If you are looking for a typical love story which will make your heart flutter, this book is not for you. This is more for those readers who understand the dark undertone in romance and appreciates it. It is an interesting read and a very different kind of love story.

Blurb:

If you lose a black cape, and can’t go to the cops, then you come to me because that’s what I do. I’ve been in the game for years. I know all the curves and all the angles, and if it gets rough then so be it, I got plenty strength, I’m double tough, and I never quit. And if need be I’ll pull my artillery to get you some answers, because I don’t care about the mistakes you’ve made or how you chose to live your life, sometimes even the unjust deserve a little justice.

At least that’s how it was before.

When a mysterious murder threatens to plunge Gold Coast City into a super powered war I only have five days’ time to find the killer, but getting to the truth won’t be so easy. I’ll have to face ruthless black capes with secrets to hide, a powerful government agency bent on national expansion, and even teams of white caped heroes whose intentions are less than pure.

No easy task for a small time PI, so I’ll need every bit of my strength and guts if I’m going to find the killer, save my city, and maybe even get some justice for the greatest hero the world has ever known.

My Review:

Super Hero and villains exchange their roles and everyone becomes the good guys for one novel. But if everyone are good guys and there is still a crime committed, that means someone is hiding behind a mask. And that is where Dane Curse comes in. Dane Curse is a super Villain turned detective for anyone who has an interesting case. And what can be more interesting that to investigate the murder of the city’s beloved White Caped Hero?

The story is interesting and different. The scene setting of the entire book feels right out of Starling City or Gotham City or any other city from comics. The Super Hero – Super Villain fights are constant irrespective of what either of their intentions are. It is like cat and mouse. They are enemies no matter who is doing what. But that adds to the fun element of the story. The language used is nice and humorous. Dane Curse as a character must have been very difficult to create. He is a bad ass villain who is so used to being a bad ass but suddenly becomes good for his mother.

The only thing I felt as a drawback was the length of the novel. Considering super hero and super villains, children or Young Adults would have loved to read it. But the story is a bit too long for young people to maintain attention. Only someone who absolutely adores to read can manage to finish the entire book patiently. The pace of the story slacks at places which diverts the reader’s attention. It could have been shorter and more crisper than the current state.

Other than that, it scored in all the avenues. It is definitely a fun and unique reading experience.

Blurb:

Can a team of teenagers from another planet help change the world?

Six months after fifteen year old Mia McAdams lands on the secret planet Usonia, a shipment of Earth’s most brilliant individuals descends on the colony. Tasked with speeding up progress on the utopic planet, the determined and ambitious new arrivals aren’t afraid to ruffle a few Usonian feathers.

Meanwhile, Mia is preparing to say goodbye to her idyllic new life on Usonia, leaving her boyfriend and first love, Noah behind. Joined by her best friend Stella, her devilishly charming new teammate Kale, and a host of Usonians, Mia is set to fly to Earth on a mission to change the world. But will they succeed?

Operation Earth is the second book in the teen sci-fi trilogy, Project Ark.

Genre: Adventure / Sci Fi / YA

My Review:

After Project Ark, I had huge expectations from Operation Earth. Mia McAdams learnt a lot from Usonia and now was coming to Earth along with Stella, to implement those learning and to take back a few reformed Earthlings back to Usonia. However, the book had little to talk about their implementation and more about how Stella is not able to adjust to the Earth’s environment and how she was adjusting to meeting her ex-Earthling boyfriend.

It was slightly disappointing as I was looking forward to reading how children can go ahead and make changes in the world today. But it was more of YA romance kind of feel through the book. Hopefully, the next book will have some more interesting twists and turns in the story, like the first one.

Blurb:

Families silenced by secrets, lost heirlooms, and a ruthless killer. This Christmas could be Suzy’s last…

When Suzy Harte discovers on her wedding day that her bridegroom-to-be has been hiding a huge secret, jilting him at the altar seems the best option.

What she didn’t anticipate was he wouldn’t ever make it to the altar either and being found in the church cemetery in her wedding dress with a bloodied knife dripping onto the snow really seals the day as her worst ever.

Suzy’s life picks up crazy momentum upon discovering her bridegroom found a lost diamond ring worth millions of pounds. The problem is someone else wants the ring and they’ll stop at nothing to have it, not even serial murder.

As the body count rises, Suzy races to unravel the mystery, stumbling across years of family secrets while the killer closes in.

Can Suzy unscramble the secrets before it’s too late? Will she find true love again? Or will the secrets that silenced many before her lead her to a grisly end?

Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Crime / Thriller

My Review:

What starts off as a simple wedding between two people who were marrying for convenience, turns out to be a full blown murder mystery. Suzy was all set to marry her fiance when she comes across a devastating secret about him. But just as she was about to call off the wedding, her fiance gets killed. Now it seems her life is in danger as well.

The story hits the road running. The pace is set right from page 1 and is maintained throughout the book. There are so many twists and turns throughout the story to keep you engrossed and guessing the outcome. The series of events given one after the other are perfectly in sync and with such precision to never let you off track. The language is simple and not too fancy.

The only issue I found here is the number of characters. There are way too many characters in the story. Of course everyone is given some definite purpose, but the sheer number is enough to confuse you as to who is who and what was the purpose. This adds some complexity of the story and many a times you are forced to go back a few pages to understand the reason for a particular character. Because the story is super fast paced, these pit stops in the reading pace gives an unsettling and impatient feel to the entire story. The desired satisfaction is not obtained when it ends.

The excessive number of characters took away the intensity and amaze of the story. But the story in itself is wonderful. Gina has a definite talent with super fast paced mysteries. Looking forward to her next one

Blurb:

It is a summer night in upscale Orange County, California. When young beautiful Consuelo Vargas turns up horribly mutilated and left for dead in a strawberry field, the Irvine Police Department call in top FBI Forensic pathologist/agent, Dr. Catherine (“Cat”) Powers solve a string of murders.

Charged with hunting down a twisted serial killer dubbed the “The Burning Man” as more bodies turn up, Cat embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Her actions will destroy the people she holds most dear. Her decisions will forever change the lives of those she loves.

Little does she know, The Burning Man waits for her, drawing her closer into his web of death, lies and deceit, so that he can take from her the ultimate prize. He waits for her in plain sight forcing her to make a choice no mother should ever have to make.

Suspenseful from the first page, this novel traces the painfully real struggles of a driven woman torn between her career demands and single motherhood, a family saga involving Cat’s young son and his loss of innocence at the hands of a madman and explores the bond shared by a mother and child as they combat pure evil. Cat knows only that she will do anything to catch this killer and keep those she loves alive. But will it be enough?

Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Crime / Thriller / Police / FBI

My Review:

It does not take long for the course of life to drastically change. Cat did not expect such a thing to happen to her when she took up the case of the Burning Man. However things hit home very hard when the case turns personal and someone close get intimately involved in the crime. The story is about a psychotic serial killer and a pathologist who gets too close to catching him. The story is line is decent and maintains enough pace to keep the reader flipping fast through pages. The characters are given enough depth to give background but not too much to make it boring. The flow is steady and almost no flaws in language.

Cat is shown as a very strong lady who faces pure evil and manages to come out of it alive. The mood is very dark throughout the book which is in sync with the theme. It gives an authentic feel while reading. Although slightly typical, the story still retains interest. The end of the book feels like a cliff hanger. It seems more is yet to come from Solange Ritchie. I look forward for the continuation, if any.

SeaU is a recently opened restaurant in Thane which specializes in sea food. Since we were all in a mood for it, we thought of trying it. And Boy! Were we ever so happy with a restaurant! When we reached the restaurant, it was completely empty sans one couple. We were skeptical of going ahead with our choice but then we decided to take to take a chance. And that was the nest choice we made.

Rawas Koliwada and Mochar Chops (Veg)

Right from the time we entered, the hosts were constantly alert around us. Our plate were changed immediately to give us fresh plates. We ordered Veg TomKha soup for starters and also Mochar Chops and Ravas Koliwada. The food was served without much delay. The soup was amazing. Starters were delicious.

During the time we went, they were not serving alcohol as their permit is still pending. Maybe the next time we go, we will get to drink as well.

Prawns Curry and Veg Patiala

For main course, we were suggested prawns and veg Patiala. Both were awesome. The quantity was enough for all of us. The service was impeccable. The overall experience was outstanding. Loved everything about the restaurant. Just hope that they maintain this after they get well known.

Salman Khan wishing Eid Mubarak by saying “Jai Shri Ram” in Bajrangi Bhaijaan showed tremendous courage and determination to portray unity in diversity. Unfortunately this did not go so well with some narrow minded people. But it is time we rise about the frugal differences of religion and realize that Unity is the best.

Blurb:

He’s kryptonite. And she needs all her strength…

Noah Parks is the ridiculously gorgeous, motorcycle-riding, cage-match-fighting equivalent of kryptonite for Lindsay Harper. And she’s going to need every last ounce of her strength now that she’s the legal guardian of her brother’s five orphaned children. For the sake of her new family, it’s time to give up her carefree single ways. Stop being the cool aunt and become a parent. And fight this crazy attraction to Noah. Sure, there’s a side of him she can’t help falling for…the one who volunteers as a firefighter and helps at-risk youth. The irresistibly kind and caring side. But she is a nurse, after all. She can’t love an MMA fighter, a man she regularly has to scan for physical trauma… Can she?

My Review:

I started this series right at the end of it. However, being a stand alone, it did nothing to hamper my interest in the story. The story does not require any background for the reader to understand, no matter which part you are starting from. But this story does make you want to read the remaining stories as well. Contemporary Romance has a way of having repetitive stories. However, “Fighting for Keeps” manages to keep you entertained and hooked on to the book even though you know where the story is headed.

The 5th part of the book focuses on Noah and Lindsay. The romance is sweet and innocent. The determination of Lindsay to keep her brother’s kids with her irrespective of what her own family thinks about her capability for that is admirable. The strength of the lady makes her very much unlike the damsels in distress we normally see in Romance novels. It becomes very easy to relate to such a lady and easier to still to appreciate a man who accepts and appreciates such a woman. It is truly a dream come true.

Fighting for Keeps is an amazing novel. With this one being so good, I really have to wonder how the other 4 would be.

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A thinker, dreamer, ponderer, I love to think of things which normally people wouldn't. These thoughts are put into words for the world to read through my blogs.
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